LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The secretary; General Post _ Office, has been advised that legal time in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, from April 16 to September 17, and in Holland from April 16 to September 16,-' IiSI been advanced one hour.

As tho AVainui reservoir is how full, tho City Council decided last night to remove the embargo placed on'the use of water for certain extraordinary purposes. : "The public is misled_ by the film posters," said a speaker at the conference on film censorship last night. "The posters represent that certain scenes are being shown in the theatres, and people who like that sort of thing pay their sixpences. .But as a matter of fact the' scenes, indicated, in--the posters have been deleted by the cen,sor." ' . .

"When a soldier is killed at the] front," said Mr. It. A. Armstrong at last evening's meeting of Second Division Reservists, "his wife and children should not be placed in a worse position than while he was alive. It seems utterly wrong that the pensions scheme should provide, as it does at-present; for the payment'of less'after the man's death than was being paid, while _he continued to serve his country." This expression of opinion apparently met with the' approval of the meeting. The City Council's ■ lease of the Thorndon pia'ths expires on July ,20 next, and the Railway Department, m view of contemplated extensive alterations in the locality, has advised the council that the Department is_ prepared to grant amonth-to-month tenancy The matter was referred by the City Council last night to its Finance Committee, On: the working of the year the Wanganui Municipal, tramways show .a credit balance of £798 16s: 6d, The Court'of Appeal -reserved its vesterday upon a questionas to the liability' of the Waihi-Paeroa Gold .Extraction C 0.,: Ltd., to contribute towards the monoys or levy mentioned in Section-17 of the Waihou and Oliinemuri' Rivers Improvement Act, 1910. A suggestion made by- -the Coaohbuilders' Federation of Employers -to the' National Efficiency Board,regarding overtime rates has roused the ire of"several Labour leaders and unions. It is interpreted as meaning that overtime rates should be done awnv with during the war. The Storemon's TJnion : has decided to protest to the chairman of the Efficiency Board (Mr. W. Ferguson) against the proposal. . ■ .]■ The Labour Representation Committee has written to the Defence Minister asking that soldiers in camp bo given a whole ■ holiday on April 25, in order that the soldiers may have an opportunity of- voting in the local elections. " _ The Storemen's Union intends to approach employers with a request that the minimum wago.of £2 15s..per weekbe increased. The services of the Horetaunga Legion of Frontiersmen Defence Rifle Club, with, headquarters at Hastings, have been accepted Jjy the Govern-, ment. . ,' By a Gazette published last night the name of Peter John Beaton, of Richmond, is.removed from the Commission of tho Peace. Winter just : approaching—be ready with a good raincoat, 555., 705., 905., 1055.,. at Geo. Yowids, Ltd., Mwjlers Str»e;-.— Advt. .- ~ :■■■■■■

The following tenders have been accepted by the Wellington Hospital Board for supplies for the ensuing year:—Coal, Westport Coal Co., and G. H. Scales; meat, Barber and Co:; fish, N.Z. Trawling and Fish Supply Co.; boots, Messrs. Hannah and Co.; funerals, 11, H. Wilson and Soli; spectacles, H. Spear. It was stated in evidence before the second Wellington Military Service Board yesterday that the male staff of the Public Trust Office at the prosent time numbered 187. Of this number 15 men were over military age, 66 were in the First Division, 33 in the Second Division, and 73 under age. The office had 80 employees at the front, and 30 waiting to be called to camp. • llabbits in the Otago Central district are being purchased at present at 7d. a pair (says the Otago "Times"). The rabbits are trapped, cleaned, and hung on a convenient fence, and the buyers' carts- come- along and take delivery. The rabbit-canning factory at Alexandra is in full swing, and it is said' that its output has been purchased for export at £1 per dozen 2fb. tins, equal to lOd. a lb. There are rabbits everywhere in Otago Central, and the trappers are making very large money. One family is' said to have trapped over 200 rabbits in one day, and .to be making anything up to £17 a week. One resident of Clyde has a. boy 10 years of age, going to school. The boy has some 18 traps, and night and morning sets them on the Clyde Domain. His father had just received a cheque for £3 lis. for a short period of work by the boy. A' story_ is told of a huge catch by a man living near the Manuherikia. The thought struck' him that if he blocked up $he end of a long road fenced on each .side with rabbit-proof netting and; then dragging from the open end he might meet with great success. He blocked: the road accordingly, and after the requisite interval started a drag from th'ejotber" end. Whether the statement' that 900 rabbits were captured, and that more than this number escaped past the outsides of the drags is an exaggeration or not cannot be ascertain,. hut it is certain that a huge haul resulted. Some farmers are now preparing to assert that 'more money can be cot from rabbits than from sheep. The rabbit trapping - season lasts for about five months, and ;the. pay, is so satisfactory that it is now freely stated that in some localities the rabbits'arebeing farmed. /Any working man with a few traps can; at the present prices, considerably add to his wages. If he is a trapper pure arid simple, and can secure a good "pitch." he can, 1 with hard work and a good knowledge of the art, be assured of earning, at least £6. or £7 a week. ■

The second.monument to commemorate the battle between the Ha'u Haus and colonial forces at Omarunui and Petane was -unveiled at Petane on Wednesday before.a.large gathering of veterans and other interested people. The new obelisk stands about 18 feet high just off the roadway. The base is of concrete, while the upper portion is in granite, the lower section bearing the inscription, "To commemorate the light at Petane, Ootoher 12, 1866, between military settlers and volunteer settlers ; of this district against the Hau Haus'; erected October, 1916." According,to a statement made by the Onslow borough engineer last evening, the amount expended in building operations in the borough during the past financial year totalled £5359. :■ At the conclusion of the meeting of the Onslow Borough Council last evening the councilors were entertained at a social function by the Mayor (Mr. C. 0. Crump). Councillor Gardner proposed; the health of the Mayor, whose services he eulogised. Council lor Gardner also made graceful references to the work of the Mayoress. All the other councillors present also spoke 'in complimentary terms of the excellent services rendered to ;the borough by the Mayor and ' "If Councillor Hutcheson is not seeking re-election, how_ is it that his name appears in the list of nominations?" This question was asked at the meeting of the City Council last night by Councillor Wright. Mr. Hutcheson said that he had been asked to make sonie disclaimer by many of his friends, and be had' come to the, conclusion'that he had a public duty in the matter. He had arranged to advertise in all the city papers that he had no connection with Mr. John Hutchison, who was nominated by the Labour Representation Committee. At yesterday's. meeting of the Wellington .Hospital Board a hearty vote of thanks was passed to.the members of tho Williamson Comedy Company for the entertainment given in tho institution on Friday last. The following alterations of street names were approved by the City Council in order to* discontinue the confusion arising out of the' duplicated names: —Wright Street, Vogeltown, changed toM'Coll Streetj.Taimii Terrace, Maranui, changed to Freyberg Street; Victoria Road, Roseneath, changed to llobieson Street; High Street (late Grant Road l North), changed to; Frandi Street; Heaton Terrace, Mitchelltown, changed to Carey Street.

The scheme at .present in force by which city schools are .supplied with books, from the City Library is to be extended to Onslow schools. This is the outcome of a request from- the Onslow School Committee to the Libraries Committee, which controls the Municipal Library on behalf of the City Council. There is a condition that tno committee shall pay a charge to defray the cost of the scheme. There are in the- city of Wellington several private streets, quite unteuded and .undrained. • The city cannot spend money upon them. The matter of taking over these streets has long been a question before the City Council, but. there, are many legal obstacles. At the . meeting. of the council . last night the Finance Committee submitted a report by the. City Solicitor, setting out in. detail, tho-powers of the council in. .regard to the. taking over of these ways. -The committee recommended, that the council should, as a first step, approach the Minister of Public. 'Works, and endeavour to secure a repeal, of .Section 117 of the Public Works Act, to enable the council to deal with the matter. After a brief discussion it was decided to the' question until the new council asramed office. '

It was agreed at the meeting of the City Council last night that the request of the Onslow Borough Council for a motor bus service between Jtaiwarra and the Thorndon station be fgranted for a trial period, provided the borough will bear any loss incurred. A representative meeting of farmers and ■ others at Hokitika, on Wednesday, adopted the Geraldine scheme for the control of soldiers' farms under the National Efficiency Board, and appointed an advisory committee to. control district affairs —Pre\s Association. • : 'i An old City landmark is disappearing in the removal of Mr. W. J. Helyer's monumental yard from Central Manners Street. This yard has been in existence as long as most people care to remember.' The section, which, lies between the Mercantile Exchange and Scott's confectionery shop, has a frontage of 23ft. 6in.; and a depth of 146 ft.. Mr. Helyer has let a- contract to Messrs. Fletcher Bros, for the erection of a three-story brick building, with a shop front. The architect is Mr. Win. Turnbull.